Crusade Gone Awry Ch 01
by hotboy21
Summary: Crusaders seeking a demon find a desert full of sex monsters


The first ship arrived at the port. It was a longship and as it rolled up to the pier a man jumped out. Like all the people on his boat, he was dressed in plate armor, decorated with a bright, flaming bird on the breast plate. He knelt down onto the wood and thanked the goddess for his safe trip. Many of the other men and women on the boat did the same as they stepped onto the pier. The first man, clearly the leader, scanned out across the ocean. He could see countless other longships, rowing rapidly towards him. Many of them would have to anchor around the port and walk over the boats, but they made it. The last human stronghold on the continent. The man turned towards the city. He thought he might have been seeing a mirage when he first got close, but he wasn't. The city was much larger than he thought it would be. There were buildings with ornate domes crammed into high walls that covered a semi-circle around the coast. There were thousands, perhaps tens of thousands living in this city. It certainly didn't look like a place on the verge of being annihilated. Instead it looked like a paradise, with palm trees, a beautiful coast and colorful domes on some of the larger structures. Moreover, the entire place looked intact and untouched. Still, it was not his place to question the High Priest of Vordan. He was on a mission from the goddess and he intended to fulfill it. He turned to the common soldiers in the boat.

"Secure the ship." the commander stated. "Tie all the rest of them together so they will be secure." A hail of acknowledgment came from the soldiers as they got to work. The commander and his officers began walking down the dock. At the end of it was a simple fish house. The moment they rounded the house they discovered someone sitting behind it. They all stopped abruptly and stared. It was a very, very old man. In the desert environment he was wearing only a pair of shorts and was sharpening a trident. He was tan almost to the point of being black. He had terrible bags under his eyes, making him look like a raccoon. He had wrinkles not only down his face, but also his chest, stomach. As if he didn't look old enough already, he had a long, white beard. The ancient, grizzled man briefly gazed up at them. His eyes met with the commander's. He then turned back to his trident.

"Finally got bored over there?" the old man said. There was barely a tooth in his mouth.

"Pardon me?" the commander asked.

"Another one of them crusades." the old man stated. "I suppose it was about time."

"So you know why we are here? They still tell tales of the previous ones?"

"Not really, I was here for the last one." The commander then appeared taken aback.

"That would make you..."

"I lost track, but it's got to be over a hundred." There was more silence as the ancient man continued sharpening his trident, as if his age was no big deal.

"You have my congratulations on living so long." the commander finally said. The old man scoffed and gazed up from his work, grinning with his two teeth.

"Well, that's the nicest thing I've heard in a while." The old man put down his tool and sharpening stone. "Who might you be?"

"I am Colonel Marcus Lionheart, commander of the Fifth Legion of the Holy Phoenix." The commander said, striking a bold pose.

"That's a long name." the ancient man replied, unimpressed. The colonel ignored him and motioned towards the six armored people standing around him.

"This is lieutenant Colonel Marisa Steinem, my second in command. This is major Oren Ackler, major Sam Ageril, captain Tay Rainground, captain Talia Fenner and first lieutenant Eliza Bevens." The five companions stood at attention, four of them proudly.

"Adrum. Charmed I'm sure." the old man replied. "What can the fair citizens of Tarbat do for you today?"

"We are here to relieve the burden of the Demon King from your lands." All that followed was silence. Adrum then clicked his tongue on the top of his mouth.

"You came all the way here, disrupted my livelihood with your boats to do something we don't need?" Colonel Lionheart once again appeared surprised.

"What do you mean?"

"As we always tell you crusading sorts, the Demon King isn't trying to kill us. We worked out a deal with him ages ago. We provide him with food, workers and women and he leaves us alone."

"You appease him!?"

"We are here, you are across the ocean. We do what we have to do. The system has stood for ages. We have no deal with him about you crusaders, so you can gallivant off to the desert if you want."

"How do you deliver your...goods to the demon?"

"I'll tell you, but it won't help. Halfway through the desert the Demon King's servants take it over. It wouldn't do you any good anyway. His servants would see you, tip him off and you would be stuck in the middle of the desert." Colonel Lionheart appeared massively annoyed. These weren't beleaguered people under siege, but citizens who were basically taxpayers.

"Who is the leader of this city?" he asked. Adrum gazed up with his old, bloodshot eyes.

"I suppose you could say I am."

"Suppose in what way?"

"Most people do what I tell them." The colonel merely sighed, already feeling exhausted.

"Do you mind if we buy supplies and camp outside the city?"

"Knock yourself out." Adrum then picked up his trident and sharpening stone. He resumed working on his fishing tool. "Word of warning, most people here are human, [i]most[/i]."

"Most?"

"Basically, watch your back. You newcomers will look like fresh meat."

"We are trained to fight demons and their ilk." The old man gazed up yet again.

"Have you ever met one?" Uncomfortable silence followed. The colonel didn't know to reply to that with his pride intact. "It's your funeral." The old man once again returned to his trident. The colonel scoffed and began marching away. His lesser officers followed after him. Once they were sufficiently out of listening range the colonel turned to them.

"I don't know what they cooky old man is going on about," he began. "But he does have a point about watching our back." He turned to his second-in-command, Marisa. "Lieutenant Steinhem, I'm going to need you to find a weapons dealer. See what they say about our weapons and how they will manage in this heat and sand."

"Yes sir." The lieutenant colonel said, briefly saluting by putting her hand over her heart. She began marching away. The commander then turned to Oren.

"Major Ackler, as the commissioner of supplies, I want you to secure a food and water source for us in case this turns into a long-term campaign. Go to the food market."

"Yes sir." Oren stated, giving a more half-hearted salute and marching away.

"Major Ageril, I'm going to need you to scout the defenses of this town. Examine the wall, look for weaknesses and see if it has any positions from where we can scout or shoot." Sam then gave a salute and went about his task. "Captain Rainground, I want you to see if there are any horses we can buy. We don't need to give a horse to every soldier, but having a division of cavalry will be useful." Tay saluted like the rest and walked away. "Captain Fenner, I know the old man said these people don't want our help, but go and see if any of them will join us anyway." Talia saluted and left. "Finally, lieutenant Bevens, I'm going need you to finish securing the ships. Hook them all together and let the soldiers step from ship to ship and get them on the ground." She saluted and walked back long the pier. The colonel stared out at the city, suddenly feeling old.

His decisions in giving tasks weren't just random. Marisa Steinem was his right-hand woman. They had risen through the ranks together. She had always worked hard and supported him in everything he did. She was an attractive woman, with unusual blue eyes and black hair. He had no idea why she was so loyal to him, but he was glad to have her around. There was the possibility that her loyalty ran deeper than just the military, but he was too old for her. She was still young and spry, so he would never consider it. Still, he would trust no one else to deal with the weapons. He trusted her more than anyone else in the world.

Major Oren Ackler originally worked as a food seller. He knew how the business worked and how to secure supplies. He was drafted rather roughly from the streets under a vague law from a lord looking to score points with the church, so he wasn't particularly motivated. He was still young and handsome, with brown hair and eyes. He usually sported a goatee and had a habit of either hoarding or stealing food. Still, he was chosen for this mission specifically for his ability in trade and meals. He was so good at what he did that he was promoted, despite his terrible attitude.

Major Sam Ageril was an incredible soldier. He fought against bandits and cutthroats from a crumbling fortress for years. No man knew about fighting against odds like him. He had a scar across his forehead, through the area between his eyebrows and down his nose. His hair was an auburn color and it was slicked back, giving it an almost spiked appearance. His eyes were an icy blue, and he distinctly lacked a sense of humor. He was also tall, muscular and quick, an all-around perfect soldier.

Captain Tay Rainground grew up on the steppe, surrounded by horses. He fought wild, savage beasts his whole life, making him perfect for the terrible monsters in the desert yet to come. He was becoming disheartened by the campaigns back at home, killing heretics. He was a bit of an unknown element in that regard. He didn't sign up for the royal corps to kill people, only monsters and beasts. He might already have a degree of disillusionment with his job. He appeared to be a handsome boy, appearing much younger than he actually was/ His hair was an almond-brown color and his eyes were bright green. If he wasn't so busy he could have probably snagged a young and beautiful wife by now.

Captain Talia Fenner was a beautiful woman, there was no doubt about that. She had perfect golden blonde hair, without a single bad root or discolored area. She had an excellent hourglass body, with large breasts and wide hips. Her eyes were the perfect shade of blue and her face was in that beautiful diamond shape. She had a soft nose, puffy lips and balanced, small ears. In short, she was an absolutely gorgeous woman. Why she would sign up for a military corp was beyond the colonel's knowledge and his care. Women weren't his concern, war was. Still, her beauty had uses. With her soliciting help, some men would join up, either to be around her or hope to get with her, either way they would be roped in.

Finally there was first lieutenant Eliza Bevens. She was an odd one. She grew up on ships and had bizarre obsessions. She carried around books with her at all times that described fantastical creatures, both real and fictional. Her eyes only brightened when she found something unusual and she thrived on adventure and discovery. She was a small, young woman, with long red hair, blue eyes and a slim body. She was cute, but didn't care about men. She only joined the corp to find those rare creatures out in the world.

Someone walked right up to the colonel from behind. He put his hand on his sword as they stood beside him. It was Adrum, now gripping his sharpened trident. Colonel Lionheart relaxed a little, but didn't take his hand off his sword. The old man had an odd, squatting kind of walk that reminded the commander of someone who desperately needed to go to the bathroom.

"City's a thing of beauty, isn't it?" he asked.

"As beautiful as any other." Colonel Lionheart replied curtly. He wasn't much one for architecture.

"Best get used to it. You're either going to be here for a long time or you're going to die here." The commander glared at the old man, contemplating whether that was a threat or not. "Do you know what happens when a demon has a child with a human?"

"An abomination is created."

"That isn't untrue. Monsters come out, the kind that stalk the desert and hunt humans."

"We are aware of that fact."

"Are you also aware of why those monsters hunt humans?"

"To eat."

"And to mate." The colonel turned his full body towards the old man, his eyes wide.

"What?"

"The Demon King is a demon of lust. His power is passed to his children. All the races of the desert are such creatures. Most of them seek humans for their energy and get it through sexual means. Many of them want to reproduce with humans, considering them superior mates to other monsters."

"Why are you telling me this?" The old man didn't reply to that. He merely turned around, putting his trident on his shoulder.

"The desert is vast. The Demon King's palace is across the endless desert, in an oasis paradise. You will have to make your way through his never-ending descendants." The old man began walking away. "Watch your back. Sometimes, it's difficult to tell who the real monsters are." The commander watched the man with a dire expression. What was that old cook talking about? Sex monsters? A lust demon? Real monsters? It was all preposterous. Before the colonel could continue his thoughts, the second boat of men finally arrived and it was chained to the first one. More men poured out onto the pier, praying in thanks, stretching and gazing at the city.

"We have no time to waste." the colonel said, walking to his men. "This is a land of madness."

Lieutenant Colonel Marisa Stein walked down the crafting section of town. Judging from the pictures on signs, there were many different kinds of artisans, tailors, dyers, potters, spinners and even ropemakers. Still, she couldn't find any smiths. There weren't any people on the street, which somewhat worried her. It was the peak of the day and yet the streets were empty. Back home the craft district would be packed this time of day. As she rounded another dead street she wiped her brow with her armored hand. It didn't really help, as the gauntlet only smeared the sweat on her face. It was blistering in this metal armor, but she was on duty. She came to one store with a sign that puzzled her. It was a person, but in an odd stance with strings on their limbs. She had never seen anything like it before. Despite the fact that she was on a mission, she couldn't quite put down her curiosity. Besides, someone could tell him where the armor or weapon smith was. She sighed and opened the door.

When Marisa walked inside she instantly stopped and gazed around with wide eyes. The entire store was covered with shelves. The shelves were stocked with tiny wooden people with stings attached to pieces of wood. They were very life-like, and somewhat haunting. Someone else entered the store from a backroom, separated by beads hanging from the doorway.

"Welcome!" the store owner said. "Please close the door!"

"Oh." Marisa said, closing the door behind her. She was shocked to discover that the inside of the store was cool. "It's cool in here."

"It's designed that way. You're not from around here are you?" The store owner grabbed his chin and gazed up and down her. "Hm, you must be a crusader. I've heard about them, but there hasn't been any in my lifetime." He looked up to her face. "Yes...lovely..." Marisa felt a little creeped out under his black eyes.

"I was looking for the armor and weapon smith. The streets were empty so..."

"It's the peak of the day, no one is out during then."

"In the middle of the day?"

"It's hot here. People are active during the morning and evening. The armor and weapon smith is a few streets over, in that direction."

"Thanks." Marisa turned to leave, but something caught her eye. It was a wooden person, an unusual one. It looked like an angel. It had black hair, blue eyes, wings and a halo. There was even a pristine white dress on its body. Her curiosity peaked, Marisa walked over and leaned close.

"You like that one?" the shop-owner asked. Marisa turned to see he was much closer now, standing only a few paces away from her.

"What are these?" she finally asked.

"They're puppets."

"Puppets?"

"They don't have those in your country? Puppets are usually in the shape of people and can be manipulated with the strings."

"Why would people want that?"

"Some like them as toys. Some of them use them as actors in little plays. Others...perhaps...simply like the idea of people being on strings. Gives them a sense of power." Marisa became a little creeped out again. The shop owner had a wide smile that showed a lot of his teeth. Marisa had always been taught that people with wide smiles weren't trustworthy. "Where are my manners? My name is Hamid my fair lady. I'm sorry if I have disturbed you in some way. I have mannerisms even my mother found uncomfortable." Marisa realized that she must have given some signs that she was uncomfortable around him.

"It's alright, I am new to this country." she said. She turned back to the angel puppet. Apart from her longer nose, it looked a lot like her. If it was her, it showed a sensitive, gentle side, one she never showed anyone.

"Would you like that one?" Hamid asked.

"I...don't have money. At least none I can spend on myself. It's all for the campaign."

"Ah yes, crusading and whatnot. Since you are new to this country and you seem to be interested in puppets, I'll just give it to you."

"R...Really?" Marisa asked. She was surprised that he would be so generous. She had heard this was a harsh land with harsh people who would just as soon kill you then give you the time of day.

"Why not, I have a lot of them, and perhaps you could recommend me to the others." He briefly held up his finger. "Actually, wait a moment." He quickly walked over to the counter at the end of the store. He reached under it and removed tiny sets of clothes. He held up a set that looked like armor. "This look familiar?"

"What...how did you...?" The tiny suit of armor he was holding had a burning phoenix on it, just like their armor. It even had the same luster and chainmail underneath it.

"I have had this for a while. I modeled it after an old puppet I saw as a child. Apparently, your order has been here before."

"We have..." Marisa had heard that the order had come to crusade, along with many other groups, ages ago. What were the odds that he would have their specific order's armor?

"Bring the puppet over here. We'll try it on." Marisa obeyed, taking the puppet by the strings and carrying it over. Hamid took the pupped and undressed it. Marisa got a good look at the naked doll. It had a feminine figure, ball-joints and even what appeared to be genitals. It bothered Marisa a little, but she decided to let it go. He was giving her part of his livelihood for free. She was hardly in a position to complain. He put the pieces of armor onto it one by one. When the suit was finally complete he held the strings up by the controlling piece of wood. "There, it almost looks just like you. In fact, would you give me a string of your hair?" Marisa flinched a little and became incredibly uncomfortable.

"What? What for?" Hamid had that wide smile he had before. It made her even more uncomfortable.

"Just a little puppeteers trick. What harm could a single hair do?" Marisa stood very still for several moments. His wide smile still made her uncomfortable, but he did have a point. It was just a hair, was he going to do, strangle her with it? Marisa reached up and pulled a single strand of her black hair. She handed it over to him. He took the strand, put in into the doll's hair and whispered at it. There was a tiny flash of light and the doll changed. Marisa's eyes widened as the doll's nose and hair style changed to hers. It was now in her complete likeness.

"What was that?" Marisa asked.

"Just a little magic."

"Magic!? That's demon's work!"

"Relax, everyone in this land can do a little magic. Look! It's you!" Hamid held the puppet up. Indeed it was her in every way, from the armor, to the face, hair and even stoic expression.

"Yes, it's very lovely." Marisa was now more uncomfortable than ever before. Magic was forbidden in her country and it made her very nervous. She was grateful that he would go that far, but she now just wanted to leave.

"You want to see something really neat?" Hamid asked. He was grinning wider than ever.

"I...should really go."

"It'll only take a moment. Watch." He then said something akin to gibberish. It must have meant something, as Marisa felt her body tingle all over. She stumbled backwards, gazing all over her body. There didn't seem to be anything wrong.

"What...what did you do!?" Marisa shrieked.

"Take a look." Hamid tilted one of the strings on the control bar. Much to Marisa's horror, her arm popped up just like the puppet.

"What...what is...?"

"I told you, magic." Hamid began puling the strings again and again. Marisa's arms flailed against her will, just like the puppet. "Didn't they tell you not to trust people over here? If not, they should have." Marisa fought with all of her might, trying to resist, but her muscles wouldn't obey. It was like her orders wouldn't go to them. Hamid carried the puppet as he walked around the counter and towards the door of the store.

"You are certainly a beautiful woman." he said. He reached up to the door and locked it. "The way you tie up that gorgeous black hair is almost criminal. I also have no doubt that the armor you have on is hiding a beautiful figure." He walked towards the door to the back room. He turned and smiled again. "Come along." He began walking the puppet. Much to Marisa's horror, she began walking awkwardly towards the door. She tried yet again to resist, but her body wasn't her own anymore. She followed Hamid into his back room.

She emerged into what must have been a work room. Standing around the edges of the room where four giant puppets, the size of humans. They were faceless and had ball joints, but were wearing underwear and had a male build. Hamid walked her to the middle of the room and stopped her.

"Stop this immediately!" Marisa shouted, sounding panicked. "My commander will come for me!"

"He can try." Hamid said, with a wide smile. "I doubt he will succeed. No one saw you come in here and everyone in this city keeps their mouth." Hamid hung Marisa's doll from the ceiling. She was stuck in place, unable to resist or fight. "Now, let's see if it's still as powerful as it used to be." He reached up and grabbed the puppet's arm. Marisa gritted her teeth as she fought it in vain. As he raised the puppet's hand up her own hand obeyed. He lifted her hand to her shoulder. To her horror, he began undoing her armor.

"What are you doing?" Marisa asked. Her terrified eyes stared at him manipulate the puppet's hands.

"Taking your armor off." he said flatly. "I could do it directly, but I need the practice." The connector on her shoulder came loose. Her breast plate sagged off of her shoulder. "There we go, now the other."

"Please stop this!" Marisa was now beginning to sound desperate. Her hand came up to her other shoulder. She was about to be completely defenseless in front of the puppeteer. She resisted with all of her might, but her muscles refused to obey her. She helplessly watched as he removed every piece of her armor, from her breast plate to her grieves to her metal skirt. She began to panic as she removed her own chainmail. All that remained was a thin pair of pants and a shirt.

"Stop...stop it..." Marisa said, beginning to shake. She was all but naked. Hamid stopped manipulating the pupped and gazed her up and down once again.

"Very nice. I new you had a proper figure." He began walking around her, kicking her armor away to the sides of the room. "Oh yes...yes...why would you ever hide such a beautiful body under so many pounds of armor?"

"You have to let me go..." Marisa said, her voice trembling. "I...I have to report back..."

"My dear, you may be new to this country, so you might not be familiar with what's going on. Allow me to elaborate." Hamid stepped back over to the puppet. He once again began manipulating it. With her hands shaking in fear, Marisa reached for her shirt.

"No! No, please!"

"You see, that part of your life is over. You're about to embark on a new journey." Marisa pulled her shirt over her head, exposing her amble breasts. "Don't worry, it won't be so bad." She reached for her pants and pulled them down. "I think you'll enjoy...oh my!" Hamid stopped in mid sentence the moment he saw Marisa's nude body. "You...are truly beautiful! I knew that black hair and blue eyes was something special...but your body! Perfect hips, breasts, legs and stomach, I am impressed. Must be all that exercise you get." Tears were beginning to stream down Marisa's eyes. She hadn't cried since she was a child, and certainly not since joining the corp. Now she was exposed, helpless and at the mercy of some bizarre puppet-wizard.

"Please...no more..."

"No more? We're just beginning!" Hamid lifted his hand and snapped his fingers. For a few moments, there was nothing but silence. Then Marisa heard the terrifying noise of wooden objects clacking together.

"What...what is...?" Her voice was trembling. She gazed around to see that the large mannequins in the room were creaking to live, trembling and jerking. "What are you doing?"

"And ruin the surprise? I'm afraid not my dear." The faceless mannequins began lurching forward, getting more mobile with each step. They surrounded her on all sides, as if waiting for something. Marisa couldn't even cover herself. She stood nude, trembling and crying. A few minutes previous she was a proud soldier, ready for a prolonged campaign of combat. Now she was a helpless girl, stripped of everything at the mercy of some evil sorcerer.

"What...are they doing?" she asked.

"Boy you really are a soldier of the church." Hamid said, sounding a little disgruntled. He took the puppet off of the ceiling and brought it to the ground. As the naked puppet dropped to it's knees, so did Marisa. Now on her knees, she watched as the giant puppets around her removed the undergarments on their crotch. Her eyes widened as wide as they could go. Protruding from their wooden bodies were very real-looking erect penises and testicles.

"You see, I made these things from the sap of a rubber tree. I whipped it around for a while and low and behold it turned into this soft, skin-like substance. I call it latex. I figured I could sell it to men who have lose their dicks or lonely women. Of course...it needs to be tested first." Hamid grinned as he manipulated the puppet. Marisa began gasping and whining in horror as her arms raised up without her consent. She squeezed her eyes shut as her hands wrapped around two of the erections. Much to her surprise, they felt like skin and were warm. She kept her eyes closed as tight as possible as her hand began to pump the dicks.

"No, no, my dear." Hamid said. "An important part of the experience is to keep eye contact." He snapped his finger again. Much to Marisa's disgust, her eyes opened. Equally to her disgust, there was one of the white, fake dicks now in her face. "Open up dear." Marisa kept her mouth shut as tight as she could. "Come on, it won't be so bad. Don't fight me. Alright..." Hamid snapped his fingers again. Despite using all of her strength, her jaw opened, shaking with effort. The puppet's dick shoved into her mouth, earning a distressed whine from Marisa. The shaft in her mouth began pumping back and forth. She could feel the cock in her mouth throb and pulse, like it was a living thing. It pierced deeper and deeper. The puppet reached up and grabbed the back of her head. It bobbed her back and forth on its faux dick. Its wooden body was shuddering, as if the puppet could actually feel pleasure. Maybe it could, she wasn't sure. Abruptly and without warning, it pulled hard on her head. She gagged loudly as the prick pierced the back of her throat. It held her there tightly for several moments, not allowing her to breathe. She desperately fought for air, but her hands never stopped moving.

"Now, now, Arthur, be gentle." Hamid chided. The puppet named Arthur released her head and pulled back, letting her gasp for hair. "I do apologize my dear, these sensations are new to them. Oops, better stop." Marisa's hands stopped moving and dropped away from the latex dicks. She could see that all of their erections were visibly pulsing. "They almost blew their tops."

"They...they can...?" Marisa said, getting a terrible feeling in her gut.

"Of course, it wouldn't be any good for selling if they couldn't." Hamid said, as if it were obvious. "Now, on all fours." Marisa was forced to obey as the puppet moved, assuming a humiliating position more fitting for a dog. Her tears were now dripping onto the ground. "Oh Balthazar, go grab that bottle over there. Yes, that one." Marisa couldn't see what they were doing, but she could hear something being opened.

"What are you doing?"

"This will help you feel better." Hamid replied, smiling wide. Marisa shrieked loudly at feeling something touching her nethers. She shook in humiliation and fear as the wooden fingers of the puppet probed inside of her. It had some kind of gel on its fingers. It spread it around inside every part of her, from her outer lips to her cervix. Once it had finished, the puppet removed its fingers. Marisa waited, feeling the cold substance sitting on her most sacred part.

"What is...?" Marisa was cut off as she shrieked and began shaking. She was now quivering for a different reason. The gel inside of her canal suddenly began to heat up and produce a tingling sensation. Almost immediately, she could feel juices drip from her. Her pussy felt as if it was itching terribly and needed to be scratched. "No! No! Make it stop! Make it stop!"

"As you wish my dear." Hamid said. The puppet called Balthazar that had given her the gel knelt behind her. It lined up its erection with her slit, preparing to shove it inside.

"No! No! Anything but that!" Marisa fully panicked. Much to Hamid's surprise, she managed to move a little under her own power, shaking her ass just out of position so Balthazar couldn't push himself in. "I have someone I love! Please don't!"

"Wait a moment." Hamid ordered. The puppets obeyed, standing, or kneeling, as still as statues. Marisa breathed a sigh of relief, but continued to shake and drip. The burning inside of her was spreading and now seemed to cover her entire torso. Hamid walked over and lifted her chin, so that her blue eyes could see his black ones. "Who might this man be?"

"M-Marcus Lionheart. Colonel Marcus Lionheart." Marisa admitted. There seemed to be a smidgen of actual sympathy in Hamid's eyes. She would say anything to get him to stop, especially considering Balthazar's hands still had a grip on her hips and his erection was still pointed at her entrance.

"Colonel? He wouldn't happen to be the commander of these forces would he?"

"Yes! Yes he is! I followed him all this time...hoping he would retire some day. Then I could tell him! I admire him for his determination, kindness and fairness! I've loved him for a long time." Hamid tilted his head and appeared genuinely sympathetic.

"Oh, that's so sweet. You can't be together because you're in the same unit, yet you still pine after him. Oh well, it's hopeless anyway." Balthazar thrust forward. Marisa screamed as her virginity was shattered. The puppet buried itself up to the hilt and shuddered while it did so. Blood dripped from around its latex erection. Marisa gazed back with tears in her eyes, seeing that it was indeed true.

"It...it hurts..."

"It won't for much longer, I assure you."

"But...why did you ask...you...?"

"My dear, he's not going to live much longer." She gazed back up at him, this time an angry expression on her face.

"He is not!"

"Sweetheart, how many crusades have there been?" Marisa did not answer. In truth, she didn't know. "A lot. How many have succeeded? None. You have no idea what monsters lie in that desert or how much power the Demon King has." Balthazar suddenly drew his erection out of Marisa and shoved it back in. The woman shrieked, but only half out of pain. It was beginning to subside and that tingling was taking over. "You should be thanking me, I'm saving your life."

"No...please..."

"The pain should be gone now. Go ahead Balthazar." Hamid stepped away and the puppet began thrusting its hips slowly. Marisa bit her lip as tears streamed out of her eyes, but not out of pain anymore. With every movement of the erection inside of her the tingling melted into sparks of pleasure. Against her will, her juices coated the white prick every time Balthazar pulled it out. The puppet was now pulling her hips with his thrusts, allowing him to pierce deeper with each of his movements.

"Let's not deprive the others of attention." Marisa's upper body lifted up, with Balthazar helping her by holding her up by her stomach. His thrusts never stopped however. Her hands came up and she began pumping on two of the puppet's dicks again. She shook her head back and forth. The sparks of pleasure inside of her were building. She could feel the tension around her pussy increasing, ready to blow.

"Oh my, are you about to cum?" Hamid had a twinkle in his eye at the display. "Well go ahead, cum as much as you like. I think those puppets you're jacking off are about ready to burst too." Marisa watched them. Their hips were shuddering and their dicks were pulsing. She tried her best to close her eyes and feel nothing, but failed miserably. With every thrust Balthazar made, a new wave of pleasure washed over her. The tension inside of her grew and grew. It felt like a dam was breaking She gasped and turned her head up to the ceiling.

"No! No! I don't...I don't...!" Then she screamed in unwanted bliss. Her canal clamped down on Balthazar. The puppet wrapped its arms around her like a lover and held her close as her insides coiled around him. Juices gushed on his latex dick. Marisa gasped each time her body quivered in pleasure. Her hands tightened around the erections in her hand while she was pumping. The two puppets shuddered and pumped their hips for a few moments before erupting. Warm jizz gushed onto her hand, covering them. Marisa let out a few more weakened gasps as she twitched with the last blasts of pleasure. Balthazar let her go and she collapsed onto all fours again.

That was when she felt a shocking sensation. Her hands felt different, as if they were covered in something hard. As soon as the tears cleared from her eyes she saw that the white release of the puppets was quickly absorbing into the skin of her hands. From her wrist to her fingertips her skin was turning oddly reflective and felt much heavier.

"What...what's happening to me?" Marisa asked, her voice panicking.

"Ah, that." Hamid said nonchalantly. "Since I cant use real testicles, as I don't have any at the moment, I instead have them ejaculate what they have for blood, enchanted puppet stuff and whatnot. Curios thing, when it comes into contact with human skin it turns the human into a puppet hybrid of sorts. Your skin is going to have a harder more sheen-like consistency. It won't hurt, I assure you. My ancestors used to have whole armies of these."

"A...a puppet?" Marisa finally felt the true terror of the situation hit her in the pit of her stomach. He was changing her into a puppet. "Please...you can't...I...I don't want..."

"My dear, I'm saving your life! Besides, it's not like you won't enjoy it." Balthazar turned her over onto her back. It lifted her hips so he could get a better angle. It placed both of its hands on either side of her stomach. "All it has to do is get inside of you."

"No! Stop it! I don't want...!" She was silenced. The puppet called Arthur put its own erection back inside of her mouth. Both of them began pumping their hips in rhythm with each other. Marisa wanted to fight with all of her might, but instead just lay there as the puppets had their way with her. Worse still, she could feel those sparks of pleasure jumping around inside of her canal again. Despite her terror, despite her fighting and despite not wanting any of it, she was getting off on this again. She whined in distress, but her hips began shaking in pleasure. She could feel her body building to another climax. The puppets were bucking their hips wildly. Arthur's shaft was piercing her throat as the puppet shoved its entire girth into her mouth each time. Balthazar was now gripping her hips again, pulling her hips with every thrust. The tension inside of her built with every movement until she couldn't take it anymore. She could feel their dicks swelling in her canal and mouth. They were going to cum, and she would be no more.

'I can't...' she thought desperately. 'I...I don't want this...make it...make it stop!" She screamed against the prick in her mouth and arched her back. Her juices gushed around Balthazar's shaft as her insides clamped around him. Both of the puppet's hips twitched as their dicks pulsed, they pushed themselves as deep as they could and then burst. All three of them quivered with pleasure. In her orgasmic bliss, Marisa could feel their jizz gush into her. Her canal was coated with hot spunk and it poured down her throat so she had no choice but to swallow it. For several moments, all of them bucked against each other, bathing in pleasure. Finally it was over. Balthazar pulled out, his release gushing out of her. Arthur did the same, with Marisa coughing a little of his spunk out of her mouth. She could feel that heavy, hard feeling spreading around her body.

"No...make it..." Her voice faded as her face became still and her skin became shiny. It quickly melted over her whole body as her skin absorbed all of the puppet's magic. In a few moments, she was completely changed. She no longer moved and no longer spoke. She was a living doll, unable to do anything without her master. That person walked over to her as he shooed the puppets away.

"Aren't you perfect?" Hamid said, grinning. "You are by far the most beautiful puppet I have ever seen." He lifted her up into a sitting position. Hamid ran his hand over her smooth stomach and gripped one of her breasts in his hand. It was large enough that it filled up his entire grip. He pulled some of her black hair away from her face and whispered into her ear. "Don't you worry. It doesn't take any of your sensitivity away." He pinched her nipple, causing her to gasp through her nose. Her face showed no emotion however. "Oh the fun we will have my sweet puppet." He licked her shoulder, causing her to shiver a little. "You are mine. Now and forever."

That night, Colonel Lionheart was pacing back and forth nervously. Almost all of the ships had docked and the camp had been set up outside of the city. Everything was moving smoothly except for one thing. His second-in-command, his right-hand woman was nowhere to be found. A blacksmith showed up and offered his services soon after they scattered, for a fee of course. The colonel would trade every weapon in the world right now to have Lieutenant Colonel Steinem back. She was a one in a million soldier, loyal, capable and strong. Now she was missing in this large city. He was pacing by the docks, waiting for the one person who would know anything about this to arrive. Just when he was about to order the city sacked and was beating his sword into the ground, the old man returned. Adrum emerged from a cliff surrounding the docks, a bucket in one hand and a trident with a fish still on it in the other. Despite his advanced age, his container was full to the brim with clams, oysters and fish. He approached the colonel, receiving a death glare as he did so. He still had that bizarre, squatting walk that already bothered the hell out of the colonel.

"I take it everything is going smoothly?" The ancient man asked, putting the bucket and the trident beside his fish house. He was clearly sarcastic and Lionheart was in no mood for it.

"My second in command is missing!" he shouted at the top of his lungs.

"What was she doing?" Adrum asked calmly.

"Looking for a blacksmith!"

"How many were with her?"

"She was alone!" Much to the colonel's fury, the old man laughed. It was a dry, croaking cackle.

"Did I not tell you to watch your back? How can one watch one's back alone?" The decrepit man sat in his chair beside his house, picked the fish ofg the trident and began cleaning it with his bare hands. "I tried to warn you, be glad it only cost you one soldier."

"I want her back!" the colonel shouted. His hand gripped his sword so tight that his fingers were white, even through his armor. Adrum stopped cleaning the fish, his hands covered in guts. Their eyes met. The old man appeared serious all of a sudden.

"In all likelihood, she is either dead or not human anymore." Adrum said coolly.

"What the hell does that mean!?" Adrum threw the fish and its guts onto the ground. He stood up, using the trident as if it were a walking staff.

"It means that this is a land of madness, as I told you before. Even if she is alive, which isn't guaranteed, some manner of magic has probably taken her. She was a strong, armed soldier, so it isn't likely someone robbed her or enslaved her. Which means that magic must have been involved. She might not even be in the city anymore. She might be with the creatures in the desert, or dead, or some sort of monster herself. I warned you young man, don't come crying to me if you didn't heed my advice."

"I will ransack every house in this city until I get my answer!" the colonel shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Don't be a fool." Adrum retorted, pointing his trident at the colonel. "I've been watching your boats come in all day. You have eight hundred soldiers at most. This is a city of tens of thousands. If I rally them we will simply overwhelm you, not just with people but with magic." Colonel Lionheart gave the ancient man a deadly glare. He could cut the man down where he stood, but the population would become incensed. The commander of these forces cutting down such an old man who still lived off of the ocean? They would murder them in the streets. Still, how was he supposed to let this go? His second-in-command was likely being tortured at that very moment.

"What am I supposed to do?" the colonel finally asked. "Nothing? Let her disappear? She was one of my best soldiers and one of the few people in this world I would trust with my life." Adrum seemed to growl at himself. He gazed off at the sea for a few moments. After gathering his thoughts he turned back to the colonel.

"The longer you are here, the more aware the Demon King will become to your presence. It would take you at least a week to ransack this city if we resist and that's assuming we aren't effective. By that time, the king will have organized an army of monsters and you will be annihilated without fail. The only hope you have is to catch him before that happens. The longer you wait, the more powerful he becomes." There were a few more tense moments between them. Somehow, despite the man's endless wrinkles, hunched stature and squat legs, he was intimidating.

"I swear to the goddess that when this is over I will return. I don't care if I have to burn this entire city down, I will find out what happened to Lieutenant Colonel Marisa Steinam. I swear to you." Adrum stared at him for a moment.

"I'll find out for you." the ancient man said. "By the time you come back, I will have you an answer."

"I'm going to hold you to that...old man." The colonel then turned and marched away, heading for the city gates. Adrum watched him as he walked away, making sure he was leaving. The moment he disappeared into the buildings the old man scoffed and returned to his chair. He picked up the fish from the ground and began cleaning it again. He then grinned and began chuckling

"So confident." Adrum muttered. "Just like all the others."

Colonel Lionheart walked out of the city gates and emerged into the camp his soldiers made. They had hastily put up tents and were setting fires as the temperature was rapidly dropping. The colonel's officers were waiting near the entrance, warming themselves by one of the fires. They had taken off their plated armor and were in their chainmail. The colonel walked up to them, with each of them standing to attention when the saw him. Major Ackler was a little slower to come to attention than the rest of them.

"Be on guard at all times!" Colonel Lionheart shouted immediately. "Never for a moment think you are safe! There are threats everywhere!" The commander then spat into the sand. All of his officers gazed at one another. It was Captain Talia Fenner that spoke first.

"Sir, have you found Lieutenant Steinem?" She asked, sounding genuinely concerned.

"No." The commander replied bitterly. "Unfortunately we don't have any time to waste. The old codg...I mean Adrum believes that she is likely already dead or sold into slavery or something. The longer we wait, the more time the Demon King has to get his defenses ready. We have far fewer soldiers than any crusade before, but we are the most elite the church has. They have faith in us and we can't squander that faith for one person." Colonel Lionheart gazed down at the sand on his feet. "No matter who it is. I don't like this one bit, and once it's over we will return and find out where she is, dead or alive, and make the person responsible pay. For now...we have a mission to conduct." The colonel gazed back up and came to attention. "Each of you report." Although his officers appeared appeared unsure of his decision, they obeyed.

"Well," Oren began, not looking as interested. "It was easy enough to find some vendors. I'm not sure our stomachs will be entirely happy with it, but I've got us food. All you have to do is pay them." The major fell silent as the commander glared at him. For a few moments, tension hung in the air. Then Oren's eyes lit up. "Oh, sorry sir." He finally said with respect. "Apologies sir. Did not mean to offend you sir." He seemed disgusted with the word "sir," but having him say it was probably good enough. The commander let it go and turned to the next person.

"The defenses of this town are surprisingly good sir." Major Sam Ageril stated. He was more matter-of-fact and a lot more respectful. "The walls do not have any major structural weakness, there are archer holes every few feet and it is designed to be manned and fled from in a matter of minutes."

"Very good." the commander said. "I doubt we will be taking to the defense of this city, but it's good to know what it's capabilities are." He turned to the next person.

"Unfortunately, I couldn't find any horses the people would part with sir." Captain Tay Rainground began. "The horses they do have are used for farming along the coast and are not suited for long distances or battles. They also possess camels, but as we are not trained with those I don't think they would serve us sir."

"Horses would probably be poor in this sand anyway. Thank you for looking."

"I scoured the residential district sir." Captain Talia Fenner stated. "Most of them wanted to lure me into their homes. The vast majority of the people laughed at me when I asked if they wanted to join."

"So there are no recruits?"

"Well...there is...one." Talia had a cute squeak in her voice when she said "well." The commander didn't notice.

"One?"

"He says he can help guide us through the desert. It's just...he's...not entirely human sir."

"Entirely?"

"He seems to be...how should I put it? Part fox."

"Fox?"

"Desert fox to be precise...sir. Still, he seemed eager to help us, for the right price sir."

"It seems we've been getting a lot of that." The colonel rolled his eyes. "Beggar's can't be choosers. We're here for the Demon King. We'll accept help from anyone."

"Yes sir." The captain said in acknowledgment. The colonel turned to First Lieutenant Eliza Bevens.

"Almost everyone is off the boat sir." She stated. "There are only a few more. Everyone knew the drill and there were no incidents sir."

"Good job everyone." The colonel said, although he gave the disaffected Oren a glare. "Make sure everyone is prepared for battle at all times. We will move out immediately at dawn tomorrow. I will have to meet our...unusual guide immediately."

"Yes sir." They all said, saluting with their hands on their hearts. Oren was a little slower than the rest of them.

"Dismissed." They all scattered except for Talia. She stood in place, staring at the colonel. "Is there something else captain?"

"Sir, Marisa had a sister." she said bluntly. The colonel flinched, abruptly uncomfortable.

"I see. We will have to send her a message once this is over." the commander said, trying to defer any feelings he had for later.

"That's just it sir, she's on this campaign." The colonel took a deep breath as he suddenly felt a tightening in his gut. He had an obligation to the soldiers under his command, Marisa's sister included. "She's a private on the last boat. The lieutenant colonel made sure of that in case we had a rough landing. She should be here shortly." The colonel lifted his gauntlet hand and put it to his head. This situation was one of the worst he had ever been in. All the battles were nothing compared to what he was about to have to do.

"I'll break the news. It's my duty. You tell our guide to wait in my tent, and make sure he is unarmed."

"Yes sir." Captain Fenner saluted and marched away. The colonel felt even older than he did that morning. This was already the longest campaign in his career and it was just beginning.

The colonel waited by the gate for the last soldiers to arrive. He had asked his quartermaster, who apparently knew both Marisa and his sister, to point out when the woman arrived. When a group of soldiers marched through the entranceway, carrying their possessions on their back, the quartermaster pointed. The colonel marched forward. The moment the group of soldiers saw him they stopped. Some of them dropped their packs in surprise, but they all saluted very quickly. The colonel saluted back to them.

"At ease soldiers." he said. It didn't do him any good to say that, they all appeared just as nervous as before. "I am looking for a Private Steinam, sister of Lieutenant Colonel Marisa Steinhem."

"Huh? Oh, that's me sir." A young woman stepped forward. As the commander examined her, he saw some resemblance. They had the same nose and jaw, but this woman had a much gentler expression. Her eyes were brown and her hair blonde and short. She was also smaller and judging from the way she moved and her smaller hands and feet, she was much more slender than her sister.

"The rest of you may move on. I must speak with Private Steinam alone." The other soldiers saluted nervously and quickly marched away. The young woman appeared very nervous, completely puzzled as to what this was about.

"What is your name private?" The colonel began.

"It's...Catarina Steinam sir."

"Catarina. I have...unfortunate news to deliver to you."

"What is it?"

"Your sister has gone missing." Abruptly the nervousness disappeared from Catarina's face. She appeared very dire and very worried.

"What? What happened?"

"I sent my officers into the city to acquire supplies and scout. I sent her to secure a blacksmith for our armor and weapons. She never reported back."

"Have you organized a search?" The colonel felt the knot in his stomach tie tighter. Families frequently didn't understand the need to put the mission before their loved ones. The commander did not enjoy being yelled at by emotional people.

"I would like to do nothing else. She was my best soldier and I would trust her with my life. However, there is no time. The longer we wait, the more time the Demon King has to prepare for our attack. I threatened to search all of the houses in the city, but we were threatened with retaliation and it would take us at least a week to search the city by force. We cannot wait that long. The plan is for us to strike hard and strike fast. We are the elite soldiers, hand-picked from combat veterans and high scorers during training. We are the best and we have to act like the best. As much as it pains me, we must wait to put forward a search or else the entire operation will suffer. I swear to you, once this over, we will get answers. For now, we must press on." Throughout the whole explanation, Catarina stared at her feet. She showed no emotion through all of it. The colonel continued to brace himself for the inevitable yelling.

"I understand sir." she finally said.

"You do? Well...great. I appreciate your professionalism in this matter. I care for your sister a lot, and I will not rest until I find her or get answers." The colonel saluted and began walking away.

"Sir!" the private shouted. He turned back towards her.

"Yes?"

"If possible...I want to help fill her void in some way." Catarina's eyes were filled with determination and will. She greatly resembled her sister all of a sudden. "I know I can't be your second in command, but I have to help in some way! I can't let my sister just be a footnote in this campaign. I have to help her legacy. She's..." The young woman abruptly looked down at the sand on the ground. "She's...all I have. Our parents...were killed by bandits." The colonel stared at her silently. With that determined look on her face she looked so much like her sister, that fire, that intensity, the loyalty to duty. The commander gazed up at the night sky, thinking.

"It's true. I can't make you my second in command." he said. "However, I can make you my personal aide." Catarina's face lifted, a bright expression on her face. "It was one of her functions as my second. I don't think Major Ageril would be willing to do that." The young woman stood at attention and saluted.

"I would be happy to be your personal aide sir!"

"Very well. Put your things away and meet in my tent. You will need to keep a record of what happens here."

"Yes sir!" Catarina dashed away, eager to cast off her luggage. The commander watched her run away, eager to begin her new job. The colonel then gazed out into the desert.

"How much more will you take from me I wonder?" The desert did not answer. It never did. It only sweltered and killed. The commander took a deep breath, regained his professional composure and began marching to his tent.


End file.
